Automatic shutoff valve



Oct. 9, 1951 PARR|sH 2,570,372

AUTOMATIC SHUTOFF VALVE Filed Dec. '1, 1946 A 2' Sheets-Sheet 1 FIGURE 1 IN VEN TOR.

Tom E. Parrish.

14 arney T. E. PARRISH AUTOMATIC SHUTOFF VALVE --2 Sheets-'Shet 2 Filed Dec. 7, 1946 FIGZ n. 16% W L n T a Mn M t Z/m ms 5% V. B l

Patented Oct. 9, 1951 S PAT EN T 'OFFI CE AUTOMATIC SHUTQFF VALVE Tom E. Parrish, Beaumont, Tex. ApplicationDecember 7, 194.6, Serial No. 114,819

The invention concerns .an automatic shutoff valve fo'r use in connection with-.aibattery ,of one o' -moreitanks such as those commonly used in "oil 'p'ipe line gathering systems. It is common practice to pump oil from two 'or more o'ff such tanks'atthe js'ame'tiin'e, "the draw-ion line's'f'r'om the several tank's being ,s'ervedby a common pipe line. Ordinarily the liquid level in the several tanks of the batterybecom'es equalized during pumping. A ..pipe "line may be fed by a number offsuch 'batteries of tanks, "taking suction on all 'of'th'em atfthe same time. The "shutoffyalve of this invention may 'beu'se'd to shut on the flow 6f oil frame given tank or battery when the liquid level therein has dropped below "a 'certainf'point,"such, "for example, asthe point where the draw-off linefenters the tank. At 'th'eis'ame "time the fconnection between 'theTdraw-ofi line and the "pipe lineis"positively"closed so that no air "-isadmitte'd "to the'p'ipe 'lineirom the .tank.

1 A number of devices "intended 'tobe .used "for the purpose described are now on "the "market, and others are disclosed'in previously issued patents, but none of 'themare entirely satisfactory.

It is an object of the invention to provide a shutoii valve wl'iich is adapted to shutoff the flow oflldui'd fromatank without p'ermi-tting'any air whatsoever *to enter the pipe line from "thetank. "The --presence of 1 air '--in *a pipe line -destroys the suction and thus interferes with the "pumping operation. I p

The automatic shutofi valve of-the invention is adaptedior use in a system in which "the drawoif lines'of a battery of tanks are connected 'toa com-mon "header whichmay be buried-"below the surface of the groundfbelowthebottom level of "thetanks, the inlet of theshutoff valve-being connected to "a riser leading from 'the -common heaiie'rand .the'dischargeopening of the shutofi valve be'injg "connected'to the pipe line.

describedmore fullyhere'inafter, the "shutdff valve includes a vertically-disposed Ztubular casing ,having asi'de'inlet near "theibottomthereof, a "bottom discharge "opening below "the 'side'in'let a'n'dla fioat'chamber positioned substantially in its entirety above the 'side inlet, a "circular valve isatiin the"discharg'e,openirig, a floatbodil re- .ceivable 'in'the float chambenla valve adaptedlto 'close .the opening surrounded by the valve seat, and .a .valveistem connecting-the valve'to the ;bottom of the lfioat. "The arrangement is such that .in operation the valve will be :seated while theliqui d level in the casing remains substan- .ti ally-above -the-side:inlet.

-It is contemplated that :theshutoii valve will vlie-installed with the fioat chamber at about the .-sa1;ne-=elevation as-the discharge openings in the -;tanks, so;.-that-when the valve is closed the tanks will besubstantially empty. Butsince the float chamber is at: aesomewhat higher elevation than '3 Claims. (Cl. 13768) 2 the remainder of the valve, the valve will close while the draw-on lines, the common'header,' the riser and the valve casing remain atleastpartly "filled with oil and the "inlet of the valve is entirely submerged. Thus a :liquid seal is formed which positively prevents any ;air entering Lthe pipeline from the tanks.

Thearrangement above described represents a substantial departure from devices previously used for this purpose, in which the connection between the tank and the .pipe line is not broken until after the flow of liquid at'hru the ;shut oi f valve has stopped, and which permit at least some air to enter the 'pipe line.

Another object of the invention is :to provide a "float controlled shutoffvalve which isso designed that the float will riseand fall freely in response.

to'fluc'tuations in liquid leveland the valve will be properly seated.

It is a further object .of the invention tosprovide a shutoff valve having a vacuum-ifreeiiflgat chamber. The shutofi valve of-thefinvention'ihas 'a'vent lineextending upwardly'from a pointtnear the 'top "of the 'iloat 'fc'hamber. "The vent line eliminates vacuum in the float chambergperniitting the 'float'to rise'andiall freely .in response ito fluctuations inlliquid level, and the valve will be properly seated.

'Aifurthe'r object 'Of "the invention istoprovide a float controlled shutoff valve having mechanical lifting .m'eansadapted to positively 'lift'the valve from its seat, for use 'whenithe valve becomes stuck, or the buoyancy 'of'thefioat alone is not sufficient to unseat'the valve against 1the:suction createdby the flow of oil'thru the pipeline, or when .it is desired to hold "the'valve' openwhile oil is'pbeing evacuated'from the lines leading-from thetanks to the gathering station, as when jrepairs are being'made or new connectionstied in, or while'rair or :gas jisbeing evacuated from the pipeline thru avent line extending upwardly from apointnear the top of'theshutoff'valve. Any air origases' that maybe travelingthru lines during pumping operations will seek the highest and first point ofiescape and willescape thru the float chamber andout 'thru the vent "line without disturbing" the operation of the valve.

Other advantageous features. of the invention will be ap'parentfrom the following description and the. accompanying drawing, in which;

Figure -1 is a jdiagrammatic'view .in elevation showing ,aLbattery of tanks having their .drawohllines connected toa common header, with the automatic shutoiiivalve of the invention in- .terposed between the header and the pipeline.

' Figure 2' is .a sectional view in elevation of .the shutofi valve, showing the valveintopenpo'sition.

.Figure .3 .is .aisectional view in. elevation of the .shutofi valve, showing vthe valve .inclosed. position.

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional View taken on the line AA of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line B-B of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line C-C of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawing, the numerals I, 2, 3 and 4 indicate a plurality of tanks which are connected thru valved draw-off lines 5, 6, I and 8 to a common header 9. The tanks I, 2, 3 and 4 are situated above the ground, while the header 9 is buried below the surface. A riser I connects the header 9 with the shutoff valve of the invention, which is indicated generally as at II. The shutoff valve II is connected by a discharge pipe I2 to a pipe line I3. A vent line I4 extends upwardly from the shutoff valve H and communicates with the top of the tank 4. The tank 4 in turn is vented to the atmosphere. Optionally the line I4 may be vented directly to the atmosphere.

The shutofi valve I I comprises a tubular casing which is formed by a T I5 and a length of pipe I6. The pipe I6 preferably is of somewhat larger diameter than the T I5, and is joined to the upperend of T I5 by a swaged nipple IT. The upper end of the pipe I6 is flanged at I8 to receive a blind flange I9, and the flanges I8 and I9 are bolted together to close the end of the pipe l6.

One of the openings in the T I5 forms a side inlet 20, which is connected to the riser I0. The lower end of T I5 forms a bottom discharge opening 2I, which is connected to the discharge pipe I2. A circular valve seat 22 is provided in the discharge opening '2I.

The vent line I4 extends upwardly from a point near the top of the casing.

The pipe I6 and the swaged nipple H, which together constitute the upper part of the valve casing, form a float chamber which is positioned substantially in its entirety above the level of the side inlet 20. The float chamber is adapted to receive bodily a cylindrical float 23. A ball valve 24, adapted to close the opening surrounded by the valve seat 22, is connected by an. adjustable valve stem 25 to the bottom of the float 23.

integrally with a spider 28, which is positioned below the valve seat 22. The guide rod 21 passes thru the opening surrounded by the valve seat '22 and thru a central opening in the spider 28.

A guide rod 29 extends upwardly from the top of the float 23 and passes thru a central opening in a spider 30. The spiders 28 and 3G serve as guides for the guide rods 21 and 29, and tend to maintain them in vertical alignment.

A lever BI is mounted on the top side of the blind flange I9 and is connected by a link 32 with a rod 33. The rod 33 extends downwardly thru a stuffing box 34 which in turn projects thru the center of the blind flange I9. The guide rod 29 and the rod 33 extend thru central openings in opposite ends of a sleeve-like member 35 and are provided at their ends with enlarged portions 36 and 31 which prevent the rods 29 and 33 from being pulled thru the ends of the sleeve-like member 35. The arrangement is such that the float 23 may be raised, and the valve 24 lifted from its seat, by manipulating the lever 3|, which in turn acts upon the rod 33 and the guide rod 29. As the float 23 rises and falls in the float chamber the guide rod 29 asses freely thru the sleeve-like member 35, the rod 33 and the sleeve-like member 35 remaining stationary when the valve lifting mechanismis not in use;

The diameter of the spider 3D approaches that of the pipe I6. The spider 30 secured to the lower end of the sleeve-like member 35 by fasten ings 38, is movable vertically therewith, and tends to maintain it in vertical alignment.

A coil spring 39 surrounds the guide red 29, below the spider 30, and serves to absorb any shock which would otherwise occur when the float 23 strikes the spider 30 during its upward movement. The spider 30 limits the upward movement of the float 23.

In operation the valve 24 will be seated while the liquid level in the valve casing remains substantially above the side inlet 20, the latter being completely submerged.

It is contemplated that the shutofi valve will be installed with the float chamber at about the same elevation as the discharge openings in the tanks I, 2, 3 and 4, so that when the valve 24 *is seated the tanks I, 2, 3 and 4 will be substantially empty. But since the float chamber is at a sombewhat higher elevation than the side inlet 20, the valve 24 will seat while the draw-off lines 5, 6, I and 8, the common header 9, the-riser Ill and the valve casing remain at least partly filled with liquid and the side inlet 20 is' entirely submerged. Thus a liquid seal is formed which positively prevents any air entering the pipe line I3 from the tanks I, 2', 3 and 4. The liquid seal also prevents air from being drawn into the pipe line I3 from the vent line I4. v

The shutofif valve as described herein may be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. An automatic shutoif device for liquid conducting lines comprising a vertically disposed tubular casing having a side inlet near the bottom thereof, a bottom discharge opening below the side inlet and a float chamber positioned substantially in its entirety above the sideinlet, a circular valve seat in the discharge opening, a float bodily receivable in the float chamber, a valve adapted to close the opening surrounded by the valve seat, a valve stem connecting the valve to the bottom of the float, a vent line extending upwardly from a point near the .top of the casing, a guide rod extending downwardly from the valve thru the opening surrounded by the valve seat, a guide positioned below the valve seat adapted to engage. the guide rod, 2. second guide rod extending upwardly from the float, a.

lever mounted on the top of the casing, a rod extending thru the top of the casing and connected thru linkage to one end of the lever, a sleevelike member having one end secured to the lower end of the last mentioned rod and the other end surrounding the second guide red, the sleeve-like member being adapted when actuated by the lever to engage the upper end of the second guide rod and lift it, and a guide secured to the lower end of the sleeve-like member adapted to engage the second guide rod as Well as the walls of the casing.

2. An automatic shutoii device for liquid conducting lines comprising a vertically disposed tubular casing having a side inlet, a bottom discharge opening and a float chamber extending upwardly above the side inlet, a valve seat in the discharge opening, a float bodily receivable in the float chamber, a valve adapted to close'the opening surrounded by the valve seat, a valve stem connecting the valve to the float, a vent communicating with the upper portion of the casing, a guide rod extending upwardly from the float, a lever mounted on the top of the casing, a rod extending thru the top of the casing and connected to the lever, a sleeve-like member having one end secured to the lower end of the last mentioned rod and the other end surrounding the guide rod, the sleeve-like member being adapted when actuated by the lever to en age the upper end of the guide rod and lift it, and a guide secured to the lower end of the sleevelike member adapted to engage the guide rod as well as the walls of the casing.

3. An automatic shutofi device for liquid conducting lines comprising a vertically disposed tubular casing having a side inlet, a bottom discharge opening and a float chamber extending upwardly above the side inlet, a valve seat in the discharge opening, a float bodily receivable in the float chamber, a valve adapted to close the opening surrounded by the valve seat, a valve stem connecting the valve to the float, a vent communicating with the upper portion of the casing,

a guide rod extending downwardly from the valve thru the opening surrounded by the valve seat, a guide positioned below the valve seat adapted to engage the guide rod, a second guide rod extending upwardly from the float, a lever mounted on the top of the casing, a rod extending thru the top of the casing and connected to the lever, a sleeve-like member having one end 6 secured to the lower end of the last mentioned rod and the other end surrounding the second guide rod, the sleeve-like member being adapted when actuated by the lever to engage the upper end of the second guide rod and lift it, and a guide secured to the lower end of the sleeve-like member adapted to engage the second guide rod as well as the walls of the casing.

TOM E. PARRISH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 947,801 Cooper Feb. 1, 1910 1,098,669 Lear June 2, 1914 1,548,298 Woodard Aug. 4, 1925 1,556,760 Conrader Oct. 13, 1925 1,588,712 Duck June 15, 1926 1,626,504 Browne Apr. 26, 1927 1,702,145 Wilson Feb. 12, 1929 1,985,663 Lowery Dec. 25, 1934 2,045,909 Haralson June 30, 1936 2,057,234 Gorman Oct. 13, 1936 2,089,741 Gaines Aug. 10, 1937 2,169,561 Layne Aug. 15, 1939 2,210,751 Cronkhite Aug. 6, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date France Aug. 10, 1908 

